Speed-regulator.



H. A. LAYGOCK. SPEED REGULATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 11, 1913.

Patented June 23, 19151.

lgtn e/sgses Irwventor.

g- ./,/4. Her-r1; a Lascock,

f 5% 526. sWw

' IS Tttor-ne g UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

HARRY A. LAYCOCK, 0F SCHENECTADY, Yomr, ASSIGNOR To GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

SPEED-REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 23, 1914.

Application filed July 11, 1913. Serial No. 778,559.

To all whom it may concern:

' Be it known that I, HARRY A. LAYOOOK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Schenectady, county of Schenectady, State of New York, have invented certain new in series with the field winding of a motor and a pair of ccntrifugally operated con tacts controlled by the rotation of the mo tor armature and connected to short circuit said resistance when the speed passed beyond normal thereby strengthening the field and bringing down the speed, when the contacts would again close and permit the speed to increase. In actual operation these contacts are kept continuously vibrating and by correctly proportioning the sensitiveness of the same and the value of the resistance a very nearly constant speed can be obtained and with practically no hunting effect.

The above described arrangement however has been found objectionable in that in starting the contacts are open and the resistance is thus in series with the field winding making it necessary to start the motor on a weak field. This has the efi'ect of speeding the motor up with such rapidity that it tends to go beyond normal speed before the vibrating contacts canbegin to operate, due to the inertia thereof, and as a consequence a hunting efiect results upon starting. The starting of a motor on a weak field is also injurious to the motor itself as is well known.

One ofthc objects of my invention is to overcome the difficulties above enumerated and l accomplish this end by providing a pair of auxiliary or safety contacts connected in multiple with the main or 0perating contacts which auxiliary contacts are normally closed and are arranged to open when the speed of the motor attains a cer tain value, usually about 25% below normal.

A further object of my invention is to so design the contacts and carrying means therefor that the contacts can be reversed whereby my structure may be quickly and easily adapted to a motor rotating in either direction.

Still further objects of my invention will appear from the following description of the structure and mode of operation of the preferred form of my invention which I have illustrated in the accompanying drawmg.

Referring to the drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view showing the wiring arrangement of my improved speed regulator. Fig. 2 is ajview looking toward the right face of the regulator shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 3 is a view looking toward the left face of he regulator shown in ig. 4. Fig. 4 is a .de elevation."

Referring first to Figs. 2, 3 and 4, of the.

drawing, 1 designates a circular plate of insulating material having attached upon opposite sides, as by means of screws, collector rings 2 and 3, these collector rings belng each provided with four symmetrically arranged inwardly projecting integral lugs as indicated at 4, through which the fastening screws extend. The collector ring 2 is provided upon its interior surface with inwardly extending integral lugs 5 and 6. These lugs are about one-third the thickness of the collector ring and are arranged adjacent the insulating plate 1; the collector ring 3 is provided with a single similarly arranged integral lug 7. Pivoted at 8 on the lug 6 is a U-shaped member 9 carrying at the central portion of the U a contact element 10 and at the end opposite to the pivot an adjustable screw 11. To the end of this screw 11 is attached one end of a spring 12 the opposite end being attached to an eye 13 carried by lug 5. A conductor 14 connects the member 9 .to a threaded bolt 15 passing through lug 6 in order to obtain good electrical connection between member 9 and the collector ring 2. Contact 10 cooperates with a contact 16 supported in position and electrically connected to collector ring 3 by means of screw 17. Pivoted at 18 on lug 7 is a second U-shaped member 19 provided with a cross brace 20 through which extends the adjustable screw 21. A

spring 22 is attached at one end to screw 21 and at-its other, end to an angle plate 23 carried by insulating plate 1. Member 19 carries a contact 24 which cooperates wlth adjustable contact 25. The ad ustable contact 25 is supported by an angle plate 26 attached to the insulating plate 1 and also electrically connected to collector ring 2 by means of the threaded bolt 15. 28 is an electrical connection performing the same function as connection 14, previously described.

By means of the screws 11 and 21 the springs 12 and 22 can be adjusted for any desired tension. The plate 1 has an opening through its center within which is fastened the bolt 29 having a threaded end 30. By means of this threaded bolt the structure as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4;, can be attached to the motor shaft to turn therewith.

Referring now to Fig. 1 a motor A is shown as having its field windin B connected in series with a resistance C from the opposite sides of which extend conductors D and E connecting with brushes F and G, cooperating respectively with the collector rings 3 and 2. As diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 1 the collector rings and parts carried thereby are connected to rotate with the shaft of the motor armature. As will be clear from Fig. 1 the pairs of contacts 10, 16 and 24, 25 are connected in multiple around resistance C.

The operation of the arrangement as shown in Fig. 1 is as follows :-When the motor is at rest the contacts 10, 16 are held closed by spring 12 and contacts 24 25 are held separated by spring 22. Resistance C is therefore short circuited by contacts 10, 16. The spring 12 is so adjusted that the centrifugal force due to the rotation of the armature shaft will not open contacts 10, 16 until the speed of the motor has attained a predetermined value, usually about of normal speed, while the spring 22 is so ad justed that contacts 24 and 25 will not close until normal speed or a speed very slightly in excess of normal is attained. By the provision of contacts 10, 16, which I may term my safety contacts, it will be clear that the motor will not be required to start on a weak field. Contacts 24 and 25 constitute the regulating contacts which actually regulate the speed of the motor after full speed is attained.

It will be evident that contacts 10, 16 must of necessity open at a speed slightly less than that which the motor can attain with full field, that is, with resistance 0 short circuitcd.

In order that the contacts of my speed regulating device may be adapted for use on a motor rotating in either direction I have provided the symmetrical arrangement of the parts shown as in Figs. 2 and 3. Referring first to Fig. 2 it will be clear that the mechanism is arranged for operation by rotation in the direction of the arrow. In order to adapt the same for operation by rotation in the opposite direction all that is necessary is to remove screw 18 and turn the member 19 over so that the central part of the U occupies the space where bracket 23 is shown, bracket 23 being shifted to a diametrically opposite position. Contact screw 25 is then reversed to face 1n the opposite direction. Referring now to Fig. 3, the parts are arranged for operation by rotation as shown by the arrow. To adapt the same for rotation in the opposite direction, pivot screw 8 is removed and member 9 is turned 'over and pivoted on lug 5, the eye 13 for holding spring 12 being shifted to lug 6. The U-shaped portion and contact 17 will still occupy the same relative position to contact 16. j

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,

1. The combination with an electric mo tor of a speed regulating means therefor, comprising 'a resistance in series with the field winding of the motor and a plurality of pairs of speed controlled contacts connected in multiple around said resistance one of said pairs of contacts being normally closed and another of said pairs of contacts being normally open. 7

2. The combination with an electric motor of a speed regulating means therefor, comprising a resistance in series with the field winding of the motor and two pairs of centrifugally controlled contacts associated with the rotor of the motor and connected in multiple around said resistance, one of said pairs of contacts being normally closed and the other of said pairs of contacts being normally open.

3. The combination with an electric motor having a rotating member of a speed regulating means therefor, comprising a resistance in series with the field winding of the motor and two pairs of ccntrifugally controlled contacts associated with the armature to be rotated thereby, and connected in multiple around said resistance, one pair of said contacts being normally closed and adapted to open when the speed of the armature reaches a certain predetermined speed and the other pair being normally open and adapted to close at a somewhat higher speed.

4. In combination, an electric motor, a field winding therefor, a resistance in series therewith, and speed regulating means for said motor comprising a rotating element operatively related to the rotating member of said motor, a disk of insulation carried by said rotating element, collector rings secured to opposite sides of said disk, a pair of centrifugally controlled contacts housed within each ring and connected in multiple across said resistance, one pair of said eontacts being normally closed and adapted to open at a predetermined speed, and the other pair of said contacts being normally open and adapted to close at a somewhat higher speed.

5. In combination, an electric motor, a field winding therefor, a resistance in series therewith, and speed regulating means for said motor comprising a rotating element operatively related to the rotating member of said motor, a disk of insulation carried by said rotating element, collector rings secured to ppposite sides of said disk, a fixed contact and a pivoted sprin held contact housed within each ring an connected in multiple across said resistance, one pair of said contacts being normally closed and adapted to open at a predetermined speed, and the other pair of' said contacts being normally open and adapted to close at a somewhat higher speed, one of said springs being operatively related to the middle portion of one of said pivoted contacts and the other to the end portion of the other of said pivoted contacts.

6; In combination, an electric motor, a field winding therefor, a resistance in series therewith, and speed regulating means for said motor comprising a rotating element operativelyrelated to the rotating member of said motor, a disk of insulation carried bysaid rotating element, collector rings secured to opposite sides of said disk and each provided with integral inwardly extendi lugs, a fixed contact on each side of sai disk and connected to the ring on the other side thereof, spring held contacts housed within and pivoted to an integral lug upon each ring, said rings being connected across said resistance, one pair of said contacts being normally closed and adapted to open at a predetermined speed, and the other pair of said contacts being normally open and adapted to close at a somewhat higher speed, one of said springs being operatively related to the middle ortion of one of said pivoted contacts and the other to the end portion of the other of said pivoted contacts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of July, 1913.

HARRY A. LAYCOCK. Witnesses:

BENJAMIN B. HULL, HELEN ORFORD. 

